Trip Tip - Ještěd: Encounter with an Alien and a Beautiful View 🌲

Our next trip was to one of the most famous places in our country — Ještěd above Liberec. You’ve surely seen it in photos: that striking building that looks like a space rocket or an upside-down funnel.

Don’t Be Fooled by the Parking Signs

Driving up from Liberec, we kept seeing various signs claiming that this or that was the “last car park.” Don’t fall for it — those signs are quite misleading. We kept driving further and further because our sat nav showed we could get all the way to the top, but that wasn’t true.

Suddenly a no-entry sign appeared ahead of us, with an additional notice that only vehicles with hotel permission were allowed beyond that point — the hotel being at the very summit of Ještěd. So we parked, along with many others behind us, at the actual last car park just below Ještěd (called Ještědka). It’s the last point you can reach before the final no-entry zone. 🚗

The car park is quite large (there was plenty of space). A full day’s parking costs 200 CZK, and when we were there, card payments weren’t accepted. So definitely bring cash. 🅿️

The Walk Up and a View Worth Every Step

From the car park we made our way up on foot — no rush, we walked at a really leisurely pace and the walk took us about 25 minutes.

The higher we climbed, the more the air changed, and I suddenly felt as though I could almost reach out and touch the clouds. The views across the landscape were simply beautiful. 🌲

Inside there’s a restaurant where you can also find the toilets, and outside there’s a refreshment stall. We warmed up with a hot cup of tea, because the wind up there was quite something. 🫖

A Unique Building with a Story

Ještěd is not just any old hill. The peculiar structure at the top — nearly 100 metres tall — is a unique combined TV transmitter and hotel. It was built in the 1960s and 70s to a design by architect Karel Hubáček and is today a national cultural monument.

Its perfectly aerodynamic shape is no accident — it was designed to withstand precisely the kind of powerful winds we experienced up there firsthand. 🌪️

The Little Martian Who Got Lost

Just by the transmitter, a curious bronze sculpture sits on the rocks. It looks like a small child from Mars — or simply an alien. It’s officially called “Little Martian” (by sculptor Jaroslav Róna) and is a sweet, slightly melancholy little figure sitting on the ground and crying. From what I found out, it’s crying because it has apparently got lost.

Personally, I think I’d like the sculpture more if the Little Martian were smiling. But it does add an even stranger and more intriguing atmosphere to this already “cosmic” summit.

Is It Worth It?

Absolutely. It’s a place everyone should see at least once. Personally, one visit was enough for me — I’m not especially drawn to go back — but if you haven’t been yet, it’s definitely worth making the trip. 🙂